The Spring Equinox 2005 - Ingress Chart
by Helene Schnitzer

First of all, for non-astrologers visiting this site, let me explain what this chart is about. An ingress chart is a horoscope for the moment a planet enters a new sign and such a chart can be calculated for any planet and any sign. However, astrologers all over the planet are paying special attention to the Sun's entrance into one of the four cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) as it marks the beginning of a new season and can tell us about what to expect during the coming three months. The Spring Equinox, when day and night are of the same length and spring begins, is marked by the Sun's entrance into Aries and can give us clues about the general quality of this season, until the Sun moves into Cancer at the Summer Solstice.
I have set the chart for London, as this is the capital of the UK and represents the whole country. (This is astrological practice, even though you may not agree on an ideological level that London should represent, for example, Scotland or other areas and their people.)

The first thing I always like to look at in a seasonal ingress is the weather, usually described by what is happening on the angles of the chart. Well, this chart has 1° Leo rising and the Sun at 0° Aries is forming an easy-flowing trine to the Ascendant, so we can expect loads of very warm and sunny weather. However, the Moon (a wet influence) in Cancer (a wet sign) is conjunct the Ascendant and portends heavy rainfall, possibly aggravated by its opposition to Mars, which can indicate extreme freak weather. With Venus, the ruler of the land (4th house) close to the fixed star Sheát, I even think of renewed floodings, as Sheàt is connected to drowning. I see a scenario of prolongued dryness, nice warm days, occasionally rather high winds (Mercury opposing Jupiter) and intersperced with sudden cold and/or heavy rains the dried-out land may not be able to cope with any better than the drains or the rail system. We'll see ...

Secondly, the ingress chart in general: The Sun rules the first and second house (the theme of the chart and matters of ideological or material values) and is conjunct Venus, the ruler of the fourth and eleventh house (family matters, tradition, the land and political parties). The Moon is aspecting Sun and Venus from the Ascendant in a free-flowing, outgoing trine and usually stands for the people, the masses. Since the Sun in itself stands for leaders, kings and governments, this appears to be the signature for the upcoming elections: The people (Moon) elect a new government (Sun), the 'basic elements' of the country (Venus) make their opinions known (ninth house) in this election. I don't know enough about the charts of UK parties to guess in an educated way what the result will be, but Sun and Venus in the ninth house augurs well, meaning that it would be to the benefit of the country and its people, which is supported by the waxing Moon favouring new beginnings and enterprises.
The Moon in Cancer, though, speaks of a tendency to stay with what is, so the current government may stay in power for a third term. (For example, on the day of the US elections, the Moon was in Cancer and the American people kept their current government, to the amazement and disappointment of everyone else.)
Sun and Venus also form a sextile to Mars in Capricorn, close to the Descendant. Although the sextile aspect speaks of good opportunities up for grabs, I feel this might be a mixed blessing. Mars is the ruler of the Aries Midheaven, opposes the Moon (the people) and sits on the point of alies and/or open enemies. This point is ruled by Saturn, currently in its detriment (weak and mean) and retrograde (also weak and mean) in the twelfth house of secret enemies. These symbols take on various meanings: The election could bring a strong opposition, legislation could be drummed through parliament (Mars in the seventh) to the detriment of the people and pertaining to "secret enemies", the elusive terrorists we hear so much of these days. Well, the last word hasn't yet been said about the UK version of the US Patriot Act.

Lastly, I'd like to relate the ingress chart to the chart of the UK itself. Some people swear by the coronation chart of William the Conqueror, from December 21st, 1066 and I do admit that this chart seems to work sometimes - but not always. The UK as is came into existence on January 1st, 1801, and that is the chart I'm using here.
What strikes me first is that the Ascendant of the ingress chart is in exactly the same degree as the UK's Jupiter in the tenth house (and, by the way, very close to the shared Ascendant of Charlie and Camilla, who will exchange their rings and marriage vows on a rather naïvely chosen date during this season.) In the UK chart, Jupiter rules the third and the sixth house, transport and communication, as well as health matters. There may be important developments in these areas, and about time, too! Both, the delapidated public transport system and the completely overwhelmed NHS are, of course, the ingredients of an ongoing soap opera in this country - as indicated by Jupiter in Leo in the prominent UK tenth house. So, the government (Sun and MC of the ingress chart) may try to deal with these issues in a sweeping way and may get through with that (trining UK Jupiter), but whether they will be successful remains to be seen.
The chart ruler of the UK is Venus and she is currently under the nebulous influence of Neptune, which is good for music and the arts, mediumship and 24-hour drinking, but not necessarily conducive to a realistic or practical view of things. The Spring Equinox Venus sits in the UK's sixth house (reality check and, again, health matters) in Pisces, a sign often associated with chaos or unclarity, and near the fixed star Sheàt of the drowning persuasion. All in all, I think there will be desperate attempts to get on top of it all that will end in even more chaos. Well, what else is new?
The Moon/Mars-opposition of the ingress chart is touching the fourth and tenth house of the UK chart (housing and government), indicating ongoing disputes about housing issues, for example the plans to build massively in the flood plains or new taxes put on house sales. The people are not amused.

And lastly my favourite, which is a bit of a mind boggler - literally - so I will try to guide you through this one carefully. In the ingress chart, retrograde Mercury and retrograde Jupiter form an opposition which touches the fourth and the tenth house, tradition and open exposure. Jupiter rules the sixth house (everyday reality) and the ninth house (higher learning, expression and the 'good daimon' connecting us to the mind of God). Mercury rules the third house (communication) and the twelfth house (secret enemies, yes, witchcraft, yes - but also the realm of spirituality, artistic inspiration and talents like clairvoyance and telepathy). For all we know, something is going to be stirring in all of the areas involved and it may have to do with a return to things of the past, one of the meanings of retrograde motion.
Now, in the UK chart this opposition runs across the first and seventh house (manifestation -Jupiter- and cooperation or enmity -Mercury). In this chart, Jupiter rules communication, while Mercury rules the higher mind and the 'unseen realm' (twelfth house, see above). In combination with Neptune's spiritualizing transit over the chart ruler of the UK, I feel that there may be more and more people openly practising alternative forms of communication, which have nothing to do with Royal Mail or your mobile phone implant, but rather make use of the old and forgotten abilities of our minds, which have been thoroughly brainwashed - but not thoroughly enough. So, one of the things to do this spring, next to tending your garden, sitting in the sunshine, voting and complaining about silly government measures would be to practice your telepathy.
And just in case you're a bit rusty in that department, but do have a comment, send us an email!

Helene